Emergency brake for marine hatch cranes



Dec. 16, 1952 M. J. READER EMERGENCY BRAKE FOR MARINE HATCH CRANES Filed Nov. 18, 1949 MICHAEL J. READER At/urncy Patented Dec. 16, 1952 UNITED STATES" EMERGENCY BRAKE FOR MARINE HATCH CRANES-Q Michael J. Reader, Chicagm-Ill'.

Application November 18, 1949, Serial No.128,177 1 3 Claims This invention appertains to improvements in hatch cranes for cargo vessels and the like, the principal object being to provide emergency brake means for preventing undesired movement of a hatch crane, particularly when the vessel is unloaded, the bow is high in the water and the crane has a tendency to ride sternward on its tracks.

The above object will save considerable damage and frequent personal injuries.

Another important object is to provide an emergency brake arrangement for ship cranes which can be built into new cranes or installed in present-day ship cranes, now in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide an emergency brake arrangement of the character stated, capable of being installed at low cost.

These and various other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a vessel, shown equipped with the improved hatch crane;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the crane with the emergency brake applied;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the improved crane;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view through one end of the crane, showing the emergency brake means.

Referring to the drawing, wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that the marine vessel is generally referred to by reference character A, while the crane is generally referred to by reference character B. Reference character C, generally refers to the usual hatch which has to be elevated and moved by the crane B in order to load or unload a vessel.

Generally speaking, a hatch crane consists of end walls D, D, connected by a super structure E, on which may be mounted the usual operators cab F, or in some instances, the crane is operated by another source.

Each end wall D, D is supported by wheels G to ride on rails H.

While carrying out the present invention, the brake mechanism on each end of the crane may individually operate, as an additional precaution, it is thought prudent to have a shaft 5, extend across the crane, but this is entirely optional and it may be more efficient and practical to have the two brake assemblies, individually opcrate.

Assuming that there :isia shaft 5, from'one. end I to the other'of the crane, this shaft hasits ends journalled through the 'zendwalls D, and each end has acrank arm: .6 and'a crank arm TI. Engageable with one-wheel. at each end of the'crane is a brake shoe 8, which is operated by a bell crank 9, suitably mounted on the adjacent end wall D, and a connecting rod I6 extends from this bell crank upwardly to the overlying arm I on the shaft 5, while a spring connection II is provided between the other or complemental arm 6 and a turnbuckle I2, the turnbuckle being connected to a cable I3, which extends over a pulley I4 supported by a bracket I5a to extend downwardly to a flexible connecting member I5, connecting the upper ends of crossed and pivotally connected claws I6, I6, the latter having inturned ends for gripping the head of the corresponding rail H. The upper ends of these claws I6, I6 have weights I1, at their outer side portions, so that when slack occurs in the cable I3, the claws I6, I 6 will spread apart to release themselves from the corresponding tracks H.

In the use and operation of this apparatus, it can be seen that for any reason the crane is not properly chocked or retained against accidental movement, especially when the ship is unloaded and the deck is slanting the claws I6, I6 have their lower inturned ends riding under the head of the corresponding track H. When the crane starts to move downwardly, the claws I6, I6 will tilt in a corresponding direction and a pull exerted on the inturned ends by raising, and the pull exerted by the cable I3, will cause the claws I6, I6 to clamp against the rail, and in so doing, a slight further movement of the crane will execute a rotation of the shaft I5, causing a forcing downwardly of the rod l0 (see Figure 2) and the application of the brake shoe 8. This occurs at each end of the crane. The only object in having the shaft 5 extend entirely across the crane is so that in the event something happens to one of the sets of claws l6, I6 or its corresponding cable I3, this structure on one side will operate the brakes on both sides. It may be impracticable to have the shaft extend this distance, but this is merely a summation of what the presence of the shaft 5 will accomplish.

The turnbuckle l2 can be adjusted so that the .brakes will be applied promptly upon the gripparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a ship hatch crane structure having wheels ridable on tracks; brakes for said wheels, gripping means for the tracks, and operative connections between the gripping means and the brakes, said operating mean comprising a shaft having a pair of right-angularly disposed'arms, a connection between one of the arms and one of the brakes and a connection between the other arm and one of the gripping devices.

2. In a ship hatch crane structure having wheels ridable on tracks; brakes for said wheels, gripping means for the tracks, and operative connections between the gripping means and the brakes, said operating means comprising a shaft gripping means for the tracks, and operative connections between the gripping means and the brakes, said operating means comprising a shaft having a pair of right-angularly disposed arms, a connection between one of the arms and one of the brakes and a connection between the other arm and one of the gripping devices, and a lineal adjustment device in said connection to the gripping device.

MICHAEL J. READER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 734,869 Hill July 28, 1903 1,249,986 Miller Dec. 11, 1917 1,730,188 Case Oct. 1, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 13,679 Switzerland Jan. 21, 1897 

